Examining God's love towards Abraham.

YAHWEH CALLED ABRAM IN LOVE

Textual source; Genesis 12, 13, 15, 17

Now the Lord said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. " - Gen. 12:1

God does not tell us not to be afraid without a good reason. Even if you don't know it now; wait for him.

God called Abram in love in spite of the wickedness of man, which includes godless religiosity, ritual killings for idolatrous practices, etc., God wanted to show his love. He called a man named Abram, to leave his home in idolatrous Ur of the Chaldees, to go to an unknown land where God would make him father of a mighty nation. God eventually made him to settle down in the land of promise, and gave him an assuring convenant, with circumcision, as it's sign and seal.

GOD'S GRACE DISCOVERED IDOLATROUS ABRAM

Genesis 12 : 1-9

vv 1-3 While Abram was having doubts as to what he should do after the death of his father (Terah)., God lovingly intervened to remove the doubts (cf. Gen. 11:31-32)

Now the Lord has said... (v. 1). Abram never merited hearing God's holy voice, given that he was coming from an idolatrous background. It was God's grace and love in action. (Rom. 5:6ff)

vv 1,2: Get out..., I will make... God's love close Abram's life old voucher and promised a new one, which of course, was fulfilled materially (13:2; 24:35) Socially (23:6), and spiritually (21:22). God's love relocates and redeploys with benefits.

vv. 2-3: I will bless you... When God promises to bless, He means, "I will make you to forget where you're coming from and what you left behind"(cf. Ps.126:1ff). God's love is unconditional, and ensures total transformation and new beginning (cf. 2Cor. 5:17).

vv. 7-9: God's love did not allow Abram to wander and suffer in identifying the promised land (cf. Ps. 32:8). His love would not allow anyone who trust in him to miss His allocation in the journey of life.

It's the love of God that discovered and brought Abram into God's eternal programme.

God's love never dies; it was with Abram right from the day of his call, till his death, and even beyond.

As we appreciate the loving God, let us also learn with open hearts from his love, so as to receive the necessary directions and re-directions for our lives. May we find His grace for this. Amen